The present invention generally relates to a cleaner for cleaning dirt attached onto optical components of an optical disc recording and the reproducing apparatus.
In recent years, the market for optical discs has been expanded such that they are now useful as non-contact and convertible mass memory media. Recording and reproducing apparatuses for optical discs are vulnerable to contamination by dirt from the outside. Dirt readily attaches onto the surfaces of exposed optical components such as object lenses and so on, and causes the transmission ratio of the optical components to be lowered thereby reducing the reliability of the optical disc apparatus for recording and reproducing the signals with laser lights. Therefore, equipment has been proposed for cleaning of exposed optical components within the apparatus, such as object lenses.
It is desirable to reduce the weight of the transfer portion of the head because such is required to quickly retrieve information stored on disc. Therefore, a recording and reproducing apparatus is provided and has a light head, called a separation type head and having an optical base including a laser light source, a detector, a transfer base for transferring an object lens and a driving apparatus mounted thereon and separated therefrom is adapted to be made.
FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show an embodiment of a recording and reproducing apparatus having a separation type head. Reference numeral 1 denotes a cartridge with a disc 2 accommodated therein. The cartridge has opening portions 1a, 1b provided in it (see FIG. 4). Reference numeral 3 denotes a cartridge holder made of sheet metal which accommodates the cartridge 1. Reference numeral 4 represents a slider which is urged by a spring (not shown) in the directions shown by arrows Y1, Y2 in the drawing figures. The slider 4 is provided with oblique notches 4a in four locations as shown. The notches 4a are respectively engaged with four pins 3b mounted on the cartridge holder 3. The cartridge holder 3 is provided with an engagement portion 3c which is engaged with a pin 5c extending upwardly from a chassis 5a to prevent the cartridge holder 3 from being slid in the Y1 and Y2 directions. The slider 4 is provided with a lock portion 9 having a notch 9a formed therein. Reference numeral 10 denotes a lock lever which is rotatably supported by a pin 12 on the chassis 5a. A pin 13 mounted at one end of the lock lever 10 is adapted to engage with the notch 9a of the lock portion 9. The end portion 10a of the lock lever 10 is urged to be moved in the direction Y1. Reference numeral 6 represents an optical base with a laser light emitting portion, a detector and so on incorporated therein. The optical base 6 is secured on the chassis 5a.
FIG. 3 and FIG. 5 are views for illustrating transfer base 14, a disc motor 21 (hidden in FIG. 2), and so on. Positioning pins 7a, 7b, 8a, 8c are mounted on the chassis 5a. The disc motor 21 is mounted on a chassis 5a as shown in the drawing. The transfer base 14 is guided by guide shafts 16 (two), and is supported movably in Y1 and Y2 directions. The transfer base 14 has an object lens 15, an adsorption member 17 of a magnetic material, a reflection mirror 20, and a lens driving means (not shown) mounted thereon. The transfer base 14 is composed of a transfer means (not shown) for free transportation thereof in Y1 and Y2 directions. Reference numerals 18 and 19 denote glass covers for preventing dirt from penetrating into the transfer base 14 and the optical base 6 during passage of laser light therethrough (see FIG. 6).
In the recording and reproducing apparatus of the above described construction, a loading operation for the cartridge 1 is effected in the following manner. First, the cartridge 1 is moved in the Y2 direction (see FIG. 2), and the end portion of the cartridge 1 comes into contact against the lock lever end portion 10a. The lock lever 10 pivots in the direction indicated by arrow A to disconnect the engagement between the pin 13 and the notch 9a so that the slider 4 can slide in the Y2 direction. As the notches 4a of the slider 4 are engaged with the pins 3b of the cartridge holder 3, the cartridge holder 3 is lowered as it advances in the Y2 direction. In this condition, the disc 2 within the cartridge 1 is engaged with the motor 21.
It is difficult to clean without dismantling the above described apparatus when dirt has become attached on the object lens 15 or glass covers 18, 19. Therefore, it has been proposed to provide a cleaner for cleaning dirt attached on the object lens, including a cleaning brush 31 formed by hairs implanted on a disc 32 accommodated in a cartridge 1 as shown in, for example, FIG. 8 (this view is seen from the reverse face of the cartridge). However, with such conventional cleaner, dirt attached on the glass covers 18, 19 cannot be removed. Thus, in the recording and reproducing apparatus having a separation type of head, the dirt cannot be completely cleaned with the conventional cleaner.